Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend section 104 of the Equality Act 2010 to allow political parties to exclude men from standing in their leadership elections.

Under section 104 of the Equality Act 2010, registered political parties in the UK are permitted to use positive action, including reserved places on shortlists, where proportionate to address the under representation of candidates with certain protected characteristics.

Section 104(7) currently provides a specific exception allowing for this to include single-sex shortlists commonly all-women shortlists) if it is proportionate to reduce unequal representation.

Political parties can reserve all the places on their shortlist for one sex if this will reduce unequal representation. If a political party had an under-representation of women, there could be a ‘women-only’ shortlist.

Positive action is voluntary and political parties cannot be forced to do it.